Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windrow merger apparatus and a method of merging windrows, and in particular relates to a windrow merging apparatus with a head having cams that slow the tines during pick up and speed the tines when releasing material.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices for merging windrows in the field are well known to gather material such as cut hay, alfalfa and other crops that might be merged into windrows for further processing such as chopping and/or harvesting. Windrow mergers typically include one or more heads to move the material to a single row at one side of the merger. Such mergers typically include tines that rotate and pick up the material from the ground and throw it rearward onto aligned conveyors that convey the material laterally to form a windrow.
Although mergers generally perform in a satisfactory manner and provide satisfactory pickup and conveyance into windrows, for certain conditions, problems may occur. In order to pick up the material and propel it onto the conveyor, the tines must move at a sufficient speed to throw the material onto the conveyor belt. If the speed of the tines at the top of the rotation when the picked up material is propelled rearward is too slow, the material may simply fall off the tine or only be propelled to the front portion of the belt so that clumping may occur. However, if the speed is increased to pick up and propel wet or heavier material from the ground, the tines move quickly at the point of engagement and lifting from the ground. At these higher speeds at the point of engagement, the material tends to be propelled forward, making it more difficult to pick up. Higher engagement speeds may damage the material being picked up and lessen its nutritional value. Moreover, in order to avoid higher speeds, it may be necessary to advance the merger more slowly along the field, thereby decreasing capacity and performance.
To overcome such problems, it can be appreciated that it would be advantageous if the material could be picked up from the ground while the tines are moving at a relatively slow speed, while the tines move at a faster speed at the top of the rotation to propel the material more reliably rearward and spread out the material onto the front and rear areas of the belt. Moreover, it can be appreciated that if a wider belt could be utilized, the material may be spread out more evenly and avoid clumping. Furthermore, if the belt could be angled downward from front to rear, the material would generally fall away from the leading edge of the belt and naturally spread the material more evenly across the width of the belt. By loading the rear of the conveyor first, the front portion of the belt adjacent the pickup head remains open to allow the material to slide along the guards of the heads and onto the belt. Such a configuration would increase capacity, especially when combined with a rearward angled belt. The present invention addresses these as well as other problems associated with windrow mergers.